Frederick III of Denmark

Frederick III
Portrait by Paul Prieur, 1663
King of Denmark and Norway (more...)
Reign	6 July 1648 – 9 February 1670
Coronation	23 November 1648
Predecessor	Christian IV
Successor	Christian V
Born	(1609-03-18)18 March 1609 Haderslevhus Castle, Haderslev, Denmark
Died	9 February 1670(1670-02-09) (aged 60) Copenhagen Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark
Burial	Roskilde Cathedral
Spouse	Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg ​ ​ (m. 1643)​
Issue	Christian V, King of Denmark Anna Sophie, Electress of Saxony Frederica Amalia, Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp Wilhelmina Ernestina, Electress Palatine Prince George, Duke of Cumberland Ulrike Eleonora, Queen of Sweden Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve (illegitimate)
House	Oldenburg
Father	Christian IV of Denmark
Mother	Anne Catherine of Brandenburg
Religion	Lutheran
Signature

Frederick III (Danish: Frederik; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670^[1]) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bishop) of the Prince-Bishopric of Verden (1623–29 and again 1634–44), and the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (1635–45).^{[citation needed]}

The second-eldest son of Christian IV and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg, Frederick was only considered an heir to the throne after the death of his older brother Prince Christian in 1647. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark-Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in Western historiography. He also ordered the creation of the Throne Chair of Denmark.

After failed and costly aggressive wars under Christian IV, most Danes did not want to go to war again. According to Cathal Nolan, when Frederick III became king in 1648, he was excluded from the talks leading to the Peace of Westphalia and had to watch as Bremen was lost to rivaling Sweden, also freed from paying Oresund Tolls. In order to be elected king after the death of his father, Frederick III conceded significant influence to the nobility. As king, he fought losing wars against Sweden. He was defeated in the Dano-Swedish War of 1657–1658, and in the Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660. However, when it seemed like king Charles X Gustav of Sweden was about to suffer a catastrophic defeat in the Second Northern War, Frederick III declared war on Sweden. Unexpectedly, Charles X Gustav crossed the frozen Belts to Zealand and appeared with 5,000 men near Copenhagen. Frederick III was unprepared and forced to sign the Treaty of Roskilde.^[2]

Frederick disbanded the elective monarchy in favour of absolute monarchy, which lasted until 1848 in Denmark. He married Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg, with whom he fathered Christian V of Denmark.